Introduction
Savee is a solution for controlling and automating not only lighting. Intuitive and simple software and hardware platform - intelligent "box" and control software communicating wirelessly. Switching on and off not only light circuits, dynamic lighting changes for lights with IEC 62386 (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface), adjustment according to light intensity using calibrated luxmeters, use of time schedules or preset actions, wirelessly, without traffic restrictions, installed overnight, easily configurable and under control - it's all Savee.
A few months ago, in the more than 20-year-old Olympia Centrum Brno building, they decided for modernization in the form of replacing old lamps with modern LED lighting. In connection with the replacement of lighting, the shopping center contacted Compactive s.r.o. (www.compactive.cz) dealing with high-current and low-current installations to come up with an optimal solution for a shopping center in order to reduce electricity consumption and reduce unnecessary lighting time to a minimum. Within a few months, there was a transition from discharge lamps to LEDs, which in itself meant significant savings on electricity.
Savee
However, the management of the building realized that the lighting could be further optimized and thus maximize the size of the savings and at the same time meet the ecological operation. Thanks to the satisfaction with the cooperation, OC Olympia once again turned to Compactive (www.compactive.cz), which offered a smart solution for automated control - Savee (www.savee.energy).
The management of the shopping center expected a further increase in savings from the implementation of automated lighting control, an extension of the service life of the luminaires, and the modernization of a two-decade building. All this with the least possible impact on the operation of the shopping center. The requirement excluded extensive renovation work and favored solutions that were friendly to the building and tenants in the passages, including the environmental impact in the form of savings and without the need to dispose of old wires unnecessarily.
Solution
Thanks to wireless communication between the individual Savee elements, the solution exactly meets the requirement to minimize construction modifications. The whole installation of the control consisted in adding control elements to the existing electrical installation infrastructure. Control elements were connected in front of the individual luminaires and communication gateways were placed in the building, which send data to a local server. So everything is very simple and at the same time secure without the need to send data to the cloud on the Internet. Despite great interference with various wireless signals (Wi-Fi networks, telephone signal, remote control of hundreds of customers' car locks, etc.), the network works reliably and without interruptions, because it communicates on a different principle than Wi-Fi (868 MHz free band).
As part of the project, a control was installed for more than 450 LED luminaires, which can now be used to regulate the intensity of lighting in steps of 10%. The lights are divided into 25 controlled groups for high control flexibility. In addition, lights can be moved between groups at any time. One light can also belong to more than one group at a time. The control can take place fully autonomously with lighting control according to data from luxmeters (ambient light sensors), or using time schedules. The advantage of luxmeters is that the control responds to the real need for lighting in case of bad weather or to the differences between the seasons and consistent lighting intensity is always achieved in the sales area.
Benefits
Thanks to the wireless elements, it was not necessary to carry out large reconstruction interventions and it was not necessary to suspend the operation. The installation had no effect on the individual tenants of the shopping center. In addition, the solution is optimized to suit the needs of the technical manager of OC Olympia Brno, who makes work easier and saves not only time but also significant operating expenses. We managed to maintain the highest possible internal security, which the customer emphasized from the beginning, and demonstrably start saving immediately.
Now the managers of the shopping center building have the entire building under constant control. There was no need to install additional building management software. The lighting control outputs are linked to third-party systems (in this case SCADA). The next step can be a very simple extension of the Savee system to a large outdoor car park, illuminated billboards, a children's playground, etc., other potential places with high electricity consumption, and the potential for savings in operation.